Ethiopian Muslims: Religious Freedoms, the Ahbash and the War on Terror

In a major development in the struggle of the Ethiopian Muslims, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released a statement that it is “deeply concerned about the increasing deterioration of religious freedoms for Muslims in Ethiopia.”

UCSRIF makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress of the United States.

The statement recognizes that since July 2011, the Ethiopian government has sought to impose the al-Ahbash sect on the country's Muslim community. Stipulating that the government has manipulated the election of the new leaders of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council (EIASC), a former independent body, the USCIRF now views it as a government-controlled institution.

“The arrests, terrorism charges and takeover of EIASC signify a troubling escalation in the government's attempts to control Ethiopia's Muslim community and provide further evidence of a decline in religious freedom in Ethiopia,” states USCRIF.

Sheikh Najib Muhammad, 59, is the imam of First Hijrah masjid in Washington D.C. He says that after the late August death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, “the new prime minister is proving his leadership worth by getting tough on Muslims.” In order to prove to the U.S. his dedication to weed out extremism in the Horn of Africa, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has been cracking down on Muslims protesting the usurpation of their religious freedom.

On October 29, 2012 the Ethiopian government charged 29 protestors with terrorism and attempting to establish an Islamic state.

“These charges are only the latest and most concerning attempt by the Ethiopian government to crush opposition to its efforts to control the practice of religion by imposing on Ethiopian Muslims a specific interpretation of Islam,” said USCIRF Commissioner Azizah al-Hibri.

“The UCSIRF statement is a positive step. The last court hearing was filled with Western journalists; now the western media will extol them,” says Muhammad.

This August, Ethiopian Muslims protested in Washington, D.C. in front of the Department of State. Sheikh imam Khaled Omar of Washington's First Hijrah Foundation called on the US government to put pressure on Ethiopian authorities to address the three key issues raised by Ethiopian Muslims.

“We have demanded that U.S. government stop supporting the regime, and not be misled by the guise of the war on terror and pressure the Ethiopian government to grant freedom of religion according to Ethiopian constitution ,” says Muhammad.

Father Philippos of the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (in exile from Ethiopia) attended the rally representing Ethiopian Christians. He supported the issues raised by the Muslims and said that the beatings and imprisonment to which they have been subjected to must be condemned, according to a report filed by the Amharic Voice of America.

UCSRIF submits in its findings that since July 2011, the Ethiopian government has sought to force a change in the sect of Islam practiced nationwide and has punished clergy and laity who have resisted. Muslims throughout Ethiopia have been arrested during peaceful protests.

To combat what the authorities say are the affects of the ideology of the Shabab in neighboring Somalia, the government has imported al-Ahbash leaders from Lebanon to train Ethiopian imams and Islamic school educators on that sect's beliefs.Anyone who refused to be trained or teach al-Ahbash has been dismissed from their positions and their schools and mosques closed. This is a great concern to the Muslims globally, as the Ahbash are not viewed as mainstream Islam by Islamic scholars from a variety of theological leanings. Historically, it is not a religion practiced in Ethiopia.

The Al-Ahbash are also known as the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects in Lebanon which was founded by Abdullah ibn Muhammad al Hirari, nicknamed 'al Habashi', after his Ethiopian roots.Even though Al-Ahbash claim on their website that they reject “the takfir ideologies that denounce Muslims as infidels”, what is happening in masajid in Ethiopia is quite the opposite, say Ethiopian Muslims in America who still have relatives and friends there.

“They [Al-Ahbash] do not consider anyone else Muslims, they are making everyone retake their shahadah in the masajid,” stressed imam Muhammad.”Many Imams, leaders, youth have vanished. We don't know where they are,” says Muhammad,” the da'wah to Islam has ceased completely.”The UCSRIF recommends that the Ethiopian government cease interfering in the internal affairs of its Muslim community and immediately and unconditionally release those wrongfully imprisoned.

“The U.S. government should raise with the new leadership in Addis Ababa the importance of abiding by Ethiopia's own constitution and international standards on freedom of religion of belief. USCIRF has found that repressing religious communities in the name of countering extremism leads to more extremism, greater instability, and possibly violence,” said USCIRF Chair Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett.Beginning in December 2011, tens of thousands have protested following every Jumuah, nationwide. The heart of campaign has been the Awalia Mosque and the Islamic school in Addis Ababa.To negotiate with the government an Arbitration committee of 17 religious leaders was formed. Among their demands were the ending government imposition of al-Ahbash on Ethiopian Muslims and re-opening of schools and mosques.By July 2012, the negotiations had failed and the protests increased in both size and frequency.

The Ethiopian government surrounded the demonstrators with armed guards. According to Human Rights Watch, several witnesses saw scores of men and women being loaded into separate trucks. Many appeared to have broken bones and other serious injuries, apparently inflicted by the police, the witnesses said.”Hijabi women are harassed on the streets, beaten and taken away. Anyone with hijab can be picked up; it is becoming a liability to look like a Muslim,” states imam Muhammad,” they go house to house and round up people so many of the youth have fled.”Independent news agencies report that the government arrested all 17 members of the Arbitration Committee and at least 70 protestors. (This number is disputed by the demonstrators, who place it in the hundreds).

The arrested protestors were not charged until October 29, 2012. The individuals charged were first detained and held in Maikelwai federal police detention center, which frequently houses political prisoners and is according to Human Rights Watch 'notorious' for abusing prisoners, including torturing them during interrogations.

Protestors now hold up yellow or white placards to signal that they are peacefully condemning the arrests and charges.

According to the UCSRIF report: “While the demonstrations largely have been peaceful, there have been a few violent incidents: On October 21, 2011 four Muslims were killed as they stormed a jail attempting to free protestors and in April 2012 five people were killed protesting the dismissal of an imam who refused to propagate al-Ahbash.”

This Washington Times July headline “Muslim protests raise fears of radical Islam” is a narrative that contributes to the complexity of the issue. American Ethiopian Muslims say that this use of war on terror is a gross misrepresentation of what is happening on the ground in Ethiopia. According to the UCSRIF, “the individuals detained also were charged under the nation's anti-terror law which has been used to target dissent, rather than to stop terrorism.”

At a recent State Department press briefing a question was raised about religious freedom in Ethiopia. U.S. Department of State Spokesperson Victoria Nuland stated,” I hadn't seen that particular statement, but you know that we've been extremely straightforward about our ongoing humanitarian – sorry, human rights questions with regard to the way Ethiopia develops. When the Secretary was there, she raised these issues, and we have been clear from this podium. So in the context of new leadership, we are renewing our hope that Ethiopia will continue to improve human rights standards for all inside the country.” American Ethiopian Muslims wait and pray.

Ethiopian Muslims refute their status as a 'minority', and quote their numbers as 50-60% of the population. They say the government intentionally misrepresents their numbers in order to keep the balance of power in its favor.

Two members of al-Ahbash were also mentioned in connection to the UN investigation into the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission, appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives. USCIRF's principal responsibilities are to review the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and to make policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.

About The Author

Hena Zuberi is the Editor in Chief of Muslimmatters.org. She is also a Staff Reporter at the Muslim Link newspaper which serves the DC Metro. Hena has worked as a television news reporter and producer for CNBC Asia and World Television News. A mom of four and a Green Muslim, she lives and preaches a whole food, organic life which she believes is closest to Sunnah. Active in her SoCal community, Hena served as the Youth Director for the Islamic Center. Using her experience with Youth, she conducts Growing Up With God workshops.
Follow her on Twitter @henazuberi.

After checking out the links saying that that organization is “unIslamic”, I was greatly disappointed in the bias and partiality displayed on their part.

One of them openly takes the verses of the Qur’an at face value, which would thus imply that the Creator is some extraterrestrial spatial entity, while it doesn’t make sense that the Prophet would be sent to replace the worship of physical objects with the worship of objects of the imagination.

As for another site, they said the Ahbash follows beliefs of the Jahmiyyah and Mu`tazilah, while I know a number of people who learned with the Ahbash and they thoroughly refute such deviant creeds.

Firstly, simple name-calling is not clarifying anything for anyone. Furthermore, do you believe everything you read on the internet? There have been recent publications dispelling many of the false claims presented on that link you posted.

As for claim that my previous post was a “side-issue” [apparently it was included in the statement], I think inasmuch as the Ahbash is being called an “extreme” “deviant” and “terrorist” as an organization, that’s directly attacking the theological teachings it presents. I have many close friends who have learned with them, and have personally seen in various publications, lofty praises of both Sheikh Abdullah and the books he’s authored, by scholars in various countries around the world.

All I’m saying is, I believe the article above, with it’s broad dismissal and denunciation of the entire worldwide organization as “deviant”, is presented an ungrounded claim which is against the evidence. It takes more than citing a website or two which clearly didn’t consider it worthwhile to examine the issues further before making such bold claims.

The link is to a Wahhabi site that claims that the Creator of the Universe is a giant object with real-actual organs. This isn’t the Muslim creed. Allah is the CREATOR of space; Allah is not dependent upon space. Allah is Al-Musawwir, the CREATOR of objects; Allah is not an object. What happens is that you have the Wahhabi-literalists, who misinterpret and distort Verses of the Qur’an and Hadiths and call people to pray to a giant deformed entity they believe lives below Prophet Jesus up in in the Heavens. This is the very belief that the AICP is so adamant in opposing—and this is why the AICP is hated by the Wahhabis.

In summary, the Wahhabis know that as long as the Ethiopian Muslims are ignorant of the details of `Aqidah and heresiology, they will be vulnerable to the ideology of Wahhabism (and the Saudi oil money that supports it). The Wahhabis (so-called “Salafis”) also know that once people are educated in how to refute the Wahhabis’ absurdly literalist methodology, people will flee from their gross tajseem (the hideous belief that Allah is an object).

Not here to defend the Ethiopian government, but the author can at least be honest and clear about the Ahbash. For one, Farraz Rabbani claims to follow traditional Islamic Doctrine (Maaturidi/Ash`ari `Aqidah)–hence, he would have to agree with the Ahbash that those who believe Allah is a giant object with organs is a disbeliever, just as the Ahbash do.

As for the Ahbash making takfeer and tadlil, to be fair, Farraz could simply mention upon whom has the Ahbash made such… AND FOR WHAT REASONS? There are beliefs (actions and sayings) that nullify a person’s Islam. In this era of pervasive deviance, ignorance, and corruption it would be prudent to educate the Muslim masses about these issues. The fact of the matter, however, is that many Muslims are abysmally ignorant about riddah (apostasy) and end up falling under the saying of the Prophet:

“The slave may utter a word he deems harmless which results in his plummeting 70 years into Hell [i.e., the person fell out of Islam without realizing it].” (Tirmidhi related)

The Ahbash are keen to educate Muslims about apostasy, and they don’t make takfeer indiscriminately. At the same time, if a person prays to an object, insults the Prophets, or knowingly throws the Qur’an in the trash, for instance, we cannot deem such a person a “Muslim.” One cannot doubt the kufr of the one who commits blatant blasphemy.

The other two sites (that are linked in the above article) advocate the doctrine of the literalists/mujassimah (those who claim Allah is an object). They simply lie. The AICP is very clear that the Murji’ah and Mu`tazilah are heretical factions who had beliefs that are tantamount to kufr.

As for abusing the Companions, again more subterfuge from the links. Lady A`ishah is among the very greatest women who has every lived. Period. Khalid ibn Waleed is called the Sword of Allah, and spoken of highly in the AICP. Regarding Mu`awiyah, the Ahbash don’t say anything contrary to what Sunni scholars in the past have said.

From my dealings with some non-AICP Ethiopians, they are confused about the theological deviance that is growing in their country. They simply wish to practice Islam in the tradition of their ancestors with no real training in doctrine and heresiology. And their hatred of the Ethiopian government causes them to reject everything the government does—whether it conforms with the Sacred Law or doesn’t. This makes many of the Muslims in Ethiopia vulnerable to extremist ideology, like that of the Shabab.

In summary, the AICP is usually hated and opposed by various deviant factions, above all, perhaps, by the mujassimah (corporealists/object worshipers). This is because of the AICP’s indisputable refutation of that sect’s ideology.

For more info (and clarity) on Shaykh `Abdullah Al-Harari, please see the following:

I was in Ethiopia this past summer and my relatives told me first hand about some of these events. One well-known mosque Awelia masjid in the capital was closed down while I was in Addis Ababa during their preparation to host a Mawlid of Unity Dinner to show the wide solidarity of Muslim Ethiopians against the government’s imposition of the Ahbash ideology (the masjid considers mawlid to be a heresy).

Unsurprisingly, the Ahbash members/sympathizers commenting above have to concentrate on side issues rather than the substance of this blog entry.

I think this issue is very simple. The Muslim Ethiopians are asking to elect their own leadership.The Ethiopian Constitution prohibits the government from meddling in their religious affairs but they are violating that by imposing the Ahbash on them. It’s as simple as that.

Muslims all over Ethiopia have been peacefully protesting this for a long time, including in Harar where a 7-year old kid was reportedly killed recently during a protest.

Do you disagree with that? If so, can you please provide evidence to the contrary instead of just name-calling those who you disagree with like a child.

Islam is not based upon democracy. If MANY of the Ethiopians are not learned in the matters of Islamic theology (or jurisprudence) then how can they properly decide what is in the best interests of Muslims?

What you have is the Ethiopian government trying to insulate itself from the fiasco that is occurring next door with the Shabab. That’s understandable. The AICP (Ahbash) are very adept at refuting Wahhabi ideology (like that of the Shabab), so the government wants the AICP to educate the masses against extremist quasi-Islamic ideology.

The masses of Ethiopian Muslims are stuck in the middle of this b/c they simply don’t understand the theological underpinnings of Wahhaism—and what that leads to. If the Wahhabis come to power in Ethiopia and they bring their typical carnage, butchery, and terrorism (which will lead to REAL heavy-handed practices by the Ethiopian government), the Ethiopian Muslim masses will be crying about how they are not all terrorists or that it is extremists who are causing the slaughter of fellow Muslims in their previously peaceful country.

Again, the problem lies in a lack of doctrinal clarity. If Muslims wish to counter terrorism, then we have to deal with the `aqidah that is the basis for extremist ideology (namely, the teachings of Sayyid Qutb/Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab). Also, Muslims should be educated in the matters of apostasy (riddah) so they can protect themselves from falling into that abomination.

Islam is not a democracy, *but Ethiopia is*. This is about holding the Ethiopian government to the standards *they claim for themselves*. The Ethiopian Constitution obligates them to stay out of the affairs of Muslims and they are violating that. Again, it’s as simple as that. What’s the point of even mentioning Islam here. Are you saying that the Ahbash are going to implement Sacred Law, i.e. Shari’ah, in Ethiopia? Or are you just using that as a smoke-screen to justify the oppression of Muslims because it benefits your sect.

Regarding your ridiculous claims about the “Wahhabis” turning Ethiopia into Somalia and killing Christians, post one evidence of a prominent Ethiopian Muslim speaker, including of those unjustly jailed, that mention anything at all like that. They are asking to elect their own representation and that in your mind equals killing Christians? What a joke. Also, making a false equivalency between Syed Qutb and the “Wahhabis” is not an evidence, especially when the “Wahhabis” themselves dedicate websites and fatawa and books after books refuting his ideology specifically (c.f. http://www.sayyidqutb.com/) and terrorism in general (c.f. http://www.islamagainstextremism.com/).

I realize that you’re probably very sensitive about being hated by mainstream Muslims, both Sufis and non-Sufis, but that’s irrelevant to what this blog entry is about . There are plenty of forums where you can debate these ‘Aqidah issues. The link I posted was only to show a clear example of one of the lies propagated by Ahbash but I don’t intend to get into an ‘Aqidah debate. Suffice it to say, almost everything said, like organs, or Allah being contained in space, is not at all said by “Wahhabis”. They restrict themselves to describing Allah in the way that He, and His Messenger (ṣallAllâh `alayhi wa sallam), described Himself: that’s what you are considering apostasy.

Dear Abdu salam and Face to Floor,
If you think you know and you are right, it is upto you to bow for the stone infront of your door steps, not even for the ideology you follow. My question for you is that in what point do you want me to accept the take over of a Masjed I played as a kid, grow as a youth, and learned my deen as an adult just let it go like that so that you and people like you jump in it.
Me and my brothers and sisters are saying we do not like your ideology and stay away from our Masjeds. Get the big budget from the government who sponsered you to the country so that you would have your own placed to distroy muslims(if you think)
We say “do not come to us” you say “they are wahabis” as if you have the ultimate right not only to be against but to clear the world from people who don’t agree what you are saying.
I think, this is the begining of the end to have wrong idea, to be wrong person and to be in the wrong side. Open your eyes.
I have also notice that the words and attitude you guys have everywhere you shaw up seems like coming from the same tap. Is it from the, so called, Sh Abdullahi or the guys after him….?

Mansour, when i have had this discussion with Ethiopians, i keep hearing the same arguments: and they are based largely on emotions and not reason or the Sacred Law.

Simply look at your neighbors and see what happens when the Wahhabi Menace gets established in a country. Do you REALLY want to see the Ethiopian government (and the Western states) get involved in the affairs of the Muslims of your country? Then, let the Wahhabis come on in. Let them blow up masaajids, let them recruit young people to attack military installations, let them start massacring the Ethiopian Christians, and then you will see the masses of Muslims in Ethiopia pleading for someone to help them with their extremist problem—and they will REALLY be crying about how brutal the Ethiopian regime is.

From the perspective of the Sacred Law, what is the AICP teaching that is wrong? Educating and warning the masses—and equipping them with the proofs to refute the hideous tajseem doctrine of Wahhabism (or the general jaahil doctrines of the Qutbis) is not a bad thing. Educating Muslims about apostasy is not a bad thing. As long as there is mass ignorance in Ethiopia, there will be no Islamic unity, and the Muslims there will be vulnerable to various extremist and heretical ideologies that will cause only more division, disunity, and confusion.

The issue is not whether Ethiopians know what is best for them “although I concur with them, Ahbash is a deviant, little cult that the Ethiopian government is unlawfully enforcing on its Muslim citizens.”

The issue is their freedom. Let them elect “wahhabis” if they want to. It is their choice. They clearly hate Ahbash although you think Ahbash is good. So preach to them nicely. Let them choose for themselves who their leaders are.

I think Islam is the best solution for everybody but I don’t go around making deals with governments around the world and enforcing my views on people who hate them.

As for what the AICP is teaching that is wrong-well, anybody with sound mind, heart or just plain fitrah can see how beyond the pale of decency this cult is coming from.

Again, we have more emotional arguments without any proof. Aside from the things that were mentioned in the article itself, which were straight lies, such as claiming the AICP is a Mu`tazilah organization or that it teaches people to slander Lady `A’isha, no proof has been presented to show what the AICP teaches is wrong.

The first issue here for the sincere person is WHO IS RIGHT? Who is promoting the proper understanding of the most important aspect of the Religion, namely, the `Aqidah? Again, Islam isn’t based upon a democracy. You don’t ask people with no training in Islamic theology about matters of doctrine because their opinion carries no weight.

If the Ethiopian people choose Wahhabis (no need for quotation marks–typically, it is Wahhabis who like to pretend that Wahhabis don’t exist) for leaders, their situation will be A LOT WORSE. Aside from the `Aqidah deviations and kufr object worship of the Wahhabis, the Wahhabis will cause a situation, like what the people are witnessing in Mali, Northern Nigeria, and of course, next door with the Shabaab. The Wahhabis deem the masses of Muslims in Ethiopia pagans and deem their blood halaal. This is how they “justify” their murder of Muslims. This is part and parcel of their `aqidah since the beginning of that heretical innovation with Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab 250 years ago.

The common folk of Ethiopia, as you know, have only a rudimentary understanding of the Deen. Their training in heresiology is very little if any. This makes it very easy for deviant factions to propagandize people with lies, distortions, and half-truths. The various deviant factions there fear that if the people are educated in matters of `Aqidah, they will be able to discern the genuine Sunni `Aqidah from the likes of Wahhabism and just general ignorance.

The Sunni have for more than 250 years been warning against the Wahhabis (so no need for quotation marks). This is not some make-believe sect. The Wahhabis (quasi-salafis) slaughtered the people of Taa’if, they laid siege to the city of Mecca, and ransacked the Prophet’s Mosque. This all occurred in the early 1800’s. These are simply facts of history—this is a history that the Wahhabis (quasi-salafis) love to conceal. Later, after the fall of the Ottomans, the Wahhabis took over Saudi Arabia… with the help of their British masters, of course.

As for `Aqidah, the Wahhabis believe that Allah is located below Prophet Jesus. They also believe that Allah is either sitting upon or hovering above the `Arsh. In addition to that, they believe that Allah has real-actual organs (a smiling face, fingers, right hands, one shinbone, two feet—one of those alleged feet will be stuffed into Hellfire). Something that occupies space, has organs, and moves about is not anything other than an object.

Furthermore, it should be clear that the one who thinks the Creator of directions exists in a DIRECTION believes that Allah is an object (for direction is nothing more than the comparison of the position of OBJECTS). Claiming that Allah is in a literal direction contradicts one of the fundamental books on Sunni `Aqidah:

“Allah is supremely clear of boundaries, extremities, sides, organs, and instruments. None of the six directions contain Allah, as is the case with all originated beings.” (Abu Ja`far At-Tahawi)

The `Uluww (“Highness”) of Allah refers to STATUS and not that of a literal altitude (just as in English, the king was referred to as “your royal HIGHNESS).

Sunnis believe Allah exists without organs and without a direction, b/c Allah ABSOLUTELY does not need the creations (hence, Allah does not require space or direction in order to exists) and Allah ABSOLUTELY does not resemble the creations (hence, Alllah is not an object or spatial entity—we are and the things we see around us are objects and spatial entities). Wahhabis believe that Allah has organs and directions. The Wahhabis don’t believe as the Sunnis believe.

What the Wahhabis do is they distort what is mentioned in the Qur’an. And they distort and just lie about what the Sunni scholars have said. The Sunnis affirm what Allah attributed to Himself IN THE ARABIC LANGUAGE. Sunnis don’t claim Allah has “real-literal” organs and other body parts… and then say that those “real-literal” organs and other body parts are not real-literal organs and body parts.

As for the Somalia comparison, when you look all over Muslim Africa right now, who is doing the slaughter in the name of “Islam?” It’s the Wahhabis in Mali, Somalia, Libya, Nigeria. The Wahhabis—as per their doctrine, as per the teachings of their founder Muhammad Ibn `Abdul-Wahhab—deem the majority of the Muslims pagans. And as a result, they deem it an act of worship to kill Muslims.

These are the facts of the situation: the quasi-Salafis lie and hide their creed. Their creed contains gross and hideous tajseem (claiming Allah is an object). And they deem it halaal to murder Muslims (of course, they don’t deem Muslims to really be Muslims). This is their danger. They terrorize people while calling them to object worship.

You will admit that the Muslims of Ethiopia for a multitude of generations have taught from and memorized `Aqidahs, such as, Al-Awaam (by and Al-Murshidah (the Creed of Ibn `Asakir). You will admit that the Muslims of Ethiopia have been Ash`aris (as the Sunnis at large have been Asha`ris and Maaturidis) for centuries. You will also admit that the Wahhabis, deem the Asha`aris/Maaturidis to be deviants in the extreme… and many of the Wahhabis deem the Ash`aris kuffaar.

So, in reality, what you are calling the people of Ethiopia to is a bid`ah (blameworthy innovation) that actually alien to HUNDREDS OF YEARS of Islamic scholarship in Ethiopia. In other words, you are claiming that your grandparents were deviants, as were their parents, and their parents, and so on—for the Muslims of Ethiopia clearly have historically followed the Ash`ari method for explaining the matters of Doctrine and not that of the Wahhabi methodology.

Of course, this is where the Wahhabis (quasi-salafis) like to take things. They wish to label the Muslims before them heretics… then infidels. Then they will label the Muslims today at large kaafir… and then the bloodbath begins. This is the reality of Wahhabi history… and the reality of Wahhabi present, as we see playing out right now in Muslim Africa.

those of you who speaks against AHbash,what are your reasons for ur caim??most of the people who spek against Ahbash accuses it based on false n unreasonable issues.As for what happened n wahat was happeninh in Ethiopia,most Ethiopian folks don’t even know the hidden agenda abt the majlis leader election issues.its the few deviant wahaby leaders who are playing this game in the name of Islam their back bone being Saudi.they know they can manipulate n propagandize people with their lies and creat a division between muslims by confusing them with their propaganda as my brother mentioned above.Those of you who claim Ahbash is a deviant extremist sect,u are just lying.the reason why you guys hate Ahbash is just becaouse either u don’t know their teaching or you are brainwashed with the ideology of whabies who claim them selves as muslim yet their belief is contrary to the traditional sunni belief.Ahbash is hated by wahabies and many other deviant sects becaouse Ahbash exposeD their misguidance clearly n warn the muslims against their teachings.u guys claim Ahbash is a new reliogion n a deviant sect.The true followers of the creed of Ahlussunna cant hate Ahbash as their teaching is completely Aqidatu AhluSunnah.we Ethiopians majority are Ahlusunna we don’t accept nor follow the misguidance of wahabies in the name of islam.the main body who brought this religious division in Ethiopia are wahabies ,not Ahbashs. they have been working hard to get acceptance by spreading so many lies against Sheik Abdullah n their students(Ahbashs).they even mention a page number which doesn’t even exist in the books of sheik Abdullah to support their claim.they are just liars.Haters,if u are truthful for ur claim against Ahabsh,bring your evidence.don’t speak up with emotions n hatreds.Allah knows best!

You say that the Ahbash only teach the mukhtasar, if that’s the case then please explain how the Muhaddith among the students of Shaykh Abdullah, Hajj Kamal Yusuf al-Hut teaches Riyad as-Salihin, publicly?

Forgot about having to respond point by point to your lies and exaggerations.

The son of Mutfi Raya, Muhammad Siraj supports the Ahbash and that’s enough for me. The Sunnis scholars had a big conference in Adis this past summer and all of them spoke out against the wahhabis and in support of the Ahbash.

Why don’t you mention the protest against the wahhabis in Ethiopia? Why don’t you mention the killing and mutilation of muslims in Somalia? Why don’t you mention the unrightful stoning of muslims in Mali? How about the destruction of masjids in Libya?

Most of the protestors are very ignorant of the issues at hand. Some of them are just wahhabis, but most are just ignorant, many among them also protest based off the pathetic lies concocted by the Wahhabis. I remember when my mother told me the government was supporting Ahbash and that Wahhabis were then active in spreading lies, such as saying ahbash say riba is halaal or that ahbash say the Qur’aan is from other than Allaah! There was more slander than that…and some anti ahbash people made an hour long video which contained more slander. Around early last year there was actually a book released solely focusing on dispelling the lies.propagated by the Wahhabis in ethiopia, the book is in amharic and arabic and is on shaykhabdullah.com in pdf. I hope the government keeps supporting ahbash, for they teach the creed of ahlus sunnah wal jamaa’ah, the belief that Allaah exists without a place, does not need time, space, or direction, and whatever you imagine in your mind, Allaah is different from it . Ethiopian muslims also are heavily into tasawwuf/sufism, and wahhabis on the other hand.totally deny this science! Wahhabis don’t believe in awliyaa either, and I guarantee you, if wahhabis gained enough power, thwy would destroy many famous grave sites, such as aw abaadir’s, because in the eyes of wahhabis, when people go to those areas making dua there, they are doing shirk! Also, wahhabis say reading qur’aan hoping for the reward to benefit the person in the grave is not valid. Also, many many ethiopian muslims celebrate the mawlid, the Prophet, Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,’s birth, according to wahhabis, this is shirk! And wahhabis say dhikr beads are haraam because they are bid’ah…subHaanAllaah…..so, I hope ahbash rids ethiopia of wahhabism…dont let ethiopia be like somalia…

We thank you for your comments and the subsequent discussion but at this time we feel the discussion has now moved away from the original content of this post and into defending aqeedah point of views etc.